Corset.



No. 732,591.. PATENTED'JUNE 30, 1903. J. SGHUFFLAY.

CORSET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1903.

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iatented June 30, 1903. PATENT O FICE.

JOSEPH SOHUFFLAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,591, dated June 30, 1903. Application filed March 28,1903. Serial Nb. 149,979. No modal-2 To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SCHUFFLAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Reducing-Corset, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to so construct a corset that it will be provided with waist-straps crossing at the back and guided forward at the Waist-line, which straps when reaching the front hip portions of the corset are guided downward in direction of each steels, whereby to exert a gentle and uniform downward and rearward pressure upon the abdomen, reducing the same and producing a long-waisted effect, yet enabling a corset under such compression to be worn without appreciable discomfort, as said pressure is distributed in two directions from the back waist-line to a point at the central lower portion of the abdomen-section of the corset.

' Furthermore, when a corset is fitted with the improved reducing-straps the corset is better adapted to hold the figure, enabling an outside garment to be perfectly fitted and worn with grace.

The invention consists in the novel con struction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figurel is a front elevationof the lower portion of the front steels of the improved corset, illustrating the formation of the lower keeper. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a lower portion of the front keepersteel, showing the lowermost keeper in side elevation, the section being taken practically on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of a corset having the improvement attached, the corset being shown fitted upon the person; and Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the improved corset, also shown fitted upon the person.

- The corset A is made, as usual, in two sections, and preferably the corset at the front lower portion of each section is provided with an elastic gore 10 and at the bottom with an elastic hem 11, united at the front by a suitable strap and buckle 12. At the hip each section of the corset is provided with an opening 13, which extends through the elastic hem 11, and these openings are closed as much as may be desired by suitable lacings 14, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The front steels 15 and 16 of the corset'are provided with the usual latches 19 and with the ordinary keepers 20, receiving the said latches; but the lowermost keeper is provided with a downwardly-extending member 21, whereby this lowermost keeper of the front steel is given more or less of a hook formation, as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The two sections of the corset at the usual back opening 17 are connected by lacing 18 in the usual manner, which lacing extends from top to bottom of the corset, as is shown in Fig. 4. V

The main feature of myin'vention consists in what 1 term reducing-straps B and C. These straps may be made of any desired material. Preferably, however, they are nonelastic. Each reducing-strap B and G at its rear end is bifurcated, being in two members, and the 'rear members of the strap B are designated, respectively, b and b, while the corresponding members of the strap 0 are designated as c and c. This construction of the two reducing-straps is best shown in Fig. 4. The rear members of the strap B are secured to one section of the corset, crossing the laced opening 17 at the back, while the rear members of the strap C are attached to the opposite section of the corset, crossing the rear' laced opening 17 in an opposite direction, and preferably the attachment between the bifurcated portions of the reduc- Fig. 4; but this particular arrangement of the bifurcated portions of the reducing-straps B and C may be departed from without altering the spirit of the invention.

The single or body portions of the two reducing-straps B and O are carried from the rear along the waist-line to the front through suitable guide-loops 20, as is also shown in Fig. 4. After reaching the front side portions of the corset these reducing-straps B and O are carried diagonally downward and forward in direction of the lower ends of the front steels l5 and 16 of the corset through suitable diagonally-arranged guide-loops 21, as is shown in Fig. 3. Therefore the arrangement of the two reducing-straps B and O at the front of the corset is combinedly in the form of a V. These reducing-straps B and O at their free ends are provided with series of preferably eyeleted apertures 22, and after the corset has been fitted upon the body these two straps are drawn in direction of each other until they have been placed under desired tension, and then corresponding eyeleted apertures 22 at the free ends of the straps are received by the hook extension 21 of the lower keeper at the front of the corset, the straps being at such time crossed, as is also shown in Fig. 3. It will be observed that under this construction a uniform downward and inward pressure from the back in direction of the front is obtained at the abdominal portion of the corset, thus tending to hold back the abdomen and materially reducing it when it is prominent. As the pressure is uniform and continual from opposite sides of the sections of a corset at the back downward in direction of the front lower portion of the corset, the figure is reduced at the abdomen without rendering the corset uncomfortable.

It will be apparent that the reducing-straps may be readily applied to any existing form of corset without material alteration in construction of such corset.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A corset, and reducing-straps attached to opposite sides of the rear laced opening in the corset, extending in opposite directions forwardly at the waist-line and from thence downwardly in direction of the lower front central portion of the'corset, a guide-loop on each corset-section at the rear, through which i'easei the straps pass, and a series of diagonallyarranged guide-loops at the front of each corset-section for the said straps, substantially as described.

2. In a corset, reducing-straps having bifurcated rear ends, the bifurcated rear end of one strap being secured to one section of the corset adjacent to the rear laced opening at the waist-line, the bifurcated end of the other strap being similarly attached to the opposing section of the corset, the said reducing-straps being carried along the waistline from the rear to the hip portions ofthe corset, and thence downward and forward in direction of each other, forming combinedly a V shape at the front, guides for the said straps on the front and rear of the corset-sections, and means for securing the forward free ends of the straps at the front lower portion of the corset, as described.

3. In corsets, front steels, one steel being provided with latches and the other steel with keepers to receive the said latches, the lowermost of the said keepers being constructed to receive a latch and having a hook" extension projecting downward, for the purpose described.

4. The combination with a corset, its front steels, latches secured to one front steel, keepers secured to the other front steel to receive the said latches, a lower keeper being provided with a downwardly-extending hook projection, of reducing-straps bifurcated at their rear ends and attached to opposite sections of the corset at their rear ends at opposite sides of the rear laced portion of the corset, the lower bifurcated members of the straps crossing each other while the upper members are arranged one above the other, each strap being carried at the waist-line forwardly to the hip portion of the corset, thence diagonally downward and forward in direction of each other, having their free ends eyeleted, the eyeleted ends of the straps when crossed being adapted to be received and retained by the hook extension from the said keeper, and guides for the said straps on the front and rear of the corset-sections, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH SOHUF'FLAY.

Witnesses:

F. W. I'IANAFORD, --.I. FRED. ACKER. 

